Ann Coffey – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Coffey on 2016-05-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many remote sites for giving evidence in court are open in each region of England and Wales; and what the location is of each such facility.

Mr Shailesh Vara

Vulnerable and intimidated witnesses, including child abuse victims, can give evidence from a remote site away from the court environment. There is at least one remote site in each of the seven Regions of Her Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service in England and Wales, and 21 in total. They are located in Ashburton, Ashford, Barry, Bournemouth, Buxton, Durham, Hemel Hempstead, Ipswich, London East India Dock, London Lewisham, Manchester, Margate, Middlesbrough, Neath, Newcastle, Northwich, Norwich, Sittingbourne, Swanley, Teesside and Welwyn Garden City.

For those who do not need to give evidence away from the court environment, the court estate is video-enabled so that any victim or witness can give evidence from a court building other than that in which the trial is being held. This ensures the victim or witness does not come into contact with the defendant, their family or their supporters.